Aranyaprathet ↔ Poipet: the Thailand to Cambodia border crossing
You change here rather than crossing aboard, and you should budget about 180 minutes for the formalities on top of the journey either side.
Thailand ↔ Cambodia · about 180 minutes · 1 service · 3 written-up journeys
How the crossing works
Aranyaprathet ↔ Poipet
Thailand ↔ Cambodia- Where
- Border complex between the two railheads, crossed on foot or by short tuk-tuk
- On the train?
- No — SRT terminates at Aranyaprathet, Royal Railway starts at Poipet
- Luggage
- Yes, carried across
- Visa
- Get the Cambodian e-visa in advance. It removes most of the friction and most of the scam surface.
- Cash on the far side
- US dollars in small notes — Cambodia runs on them, and border ATMs are unreliable.
- Time cost
- About 180 minutes of formalities
The trap. The region's most scam-prone crossing: fake "visa offices" positioned before the real one, inflated e-visa fees, invented "processing" charges. Use only the official immigration building and know the correct official fee before you arrive. Budget 2–3 hours end to end, more at weekends.
The position here moves. Confirm it against the operator and your own government's current advice before you book anything that depends on it.
What crosses here
| Service | Operator | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aranyaprathet → Poipet Tuk-tuk / on foot through the border complex | Local transfer | 30m | $2 |
Typical scheduled running time for the crossing leg itself, which does not include the 180 minutes of formalities above. Allow for both when you are working out whether a connection holds. Fares are indicative.
Local transfer. Taxi, tuk-tuk, songthaew or minivan at the station. Agree the fare before you get in. Punctuality: fair.
Getting to each side
The frontier is rarely the problem. Reaching it on a day when something onward is still running usually is.
Aranyaprathet
Thailand| Reached by | Operator | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chachoengsao → Aranyaprathet Ordinary 275/279 | State Railway of Thailand | 4h | $1.4 |
Poipet
Cambodia| Reached by | Operator | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poipet → Sisophon Royal Railway northern line | Royal Railway Cambodia | 1h | $1.5 |
Journeys through Aranyaprathet ↔ Poipet
Written up in full, each with this crossing in its proper place in the itinerary rather than as a footnote.
- Bangkok to Siem Reap overland 5 legs · 2d · $31
- Bangkok to Phnom Penh overland 6 legs · 3d · $84
- Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok overland 7 legs · 3d · $101
Plan a journey through it Pick two places and the crossing appears in the itinerary, with the buffer it needs.